The House That Built Us As It Tried To Destroy Us
by HelterSkelterKindaGirl
Summary: (auverse, post Murder House, Ben x OC, Tate x OC) Ava Hooper and her mother Rosalie move into Murder House fully aware of the history behind the house. However, when things begin to actually happen to them and the resident ghost fixates on Ava, will the mother daughter duo realize that maybe it was a mistake to move into this house? And how will Ben Harmon come into the mix?
1. AUTHORS NOTES INFORMATION

_**A FEW NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR:**_

_I DO NOT OWN AMERICAN HORROR STORY. I WISH I OWNED A COMBINATION OF KIT AND TATE BECAUSE THAT'D BE JUST AMAZING, BUT HEY, SADLY, I DO NOT. I'M NOT DOING THIS FOR A PROFIT AND I APOLOGIZE FOR ANY OOC MOMENTS THE CHARACTERS WITHIN THE STORY WILL HAVE IN ADVANCE. I'M NOT PERFECT SO YEAH, I KNOW I WILL MOST LIKELY FUCK IT UP. DOESN'T MEAN I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT._

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_**IMPORTANT INFORMATIONS ABOUT THE STORY:**_

_**RATING**__: T/M, PROBABLY LEANING STRONGLY TOWARDS M BECAUSE SWEARING AND INNUENDO, VIOLENCE AND GORE AND YES, OF COURSE, SEX._

_**TIME FRAME**__: POST MURDER HOUSE, PROBABLY ABOUT THREE YEARS LATER, WITH CHANGES MADE TO MURDER HOUSE._

_**PAIRING**__: TATE / OC, BECAUSE WHILE I LOVE VIOLATE, I ALSO LOVE TATE AND YES, I AM A BIG GIRL, I CAN ADMIT TO FANTASIZING ABOUT HIM. THIS FANFIC ACTUALLY WAS INSPIRED BY THINGS I DREAMT/THOUGHT/WANTED TO SEE AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER DURING THE SHOW._

_**SECONDARY PAIRING**__: BEN / OC, BECAUSE DAMN IT, DYLAN MCDERMOTT._

_**ALTERNATE UNIVERSE**__SO READ AT YOUR OWN DAMN RISKS._

_**CHANGES MADE TO MURDER HOUSE:**_

_- __**VIOLET AND VIVIAN CROSSED OVER**__. __**BEN IS STILL ALIVE**__**, HE'S LIVING IN ANOTHER PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT MURDER HOUSE IS LOCATED IN. THE TWINS THAT VIVIAN WAS CARRYING BOTH DIED. **__THEY'RE TRAPPED IN THE HOUSE WITH TATE AND NORA, THE OTHER RESIDENT GHOSTS._

_-__**ADDIE DIDN'T DIE**__. I DON'T HAVE THE HEART TO HAVE HER BE DEAD IN MY STORY, DAMN IT, I LIKED THE KID TOO MUCH. PLUS THERE'S TOO MUCH POTENTIAL FOR PLOT THERE BECAUSE I HAVEA THEORY.. I THINK SHE WAS KIND OF A MEDIUM. I ALSO THINK TO SOME DEGREE, VIOLET WAS. BUT YEAH, ADDIE IS VERY MUCH ALIVE AND WELL IN THIS ONE._

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_**ABOUT MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS**_

_**MOM FIRST**_

_**ROSALIE HOOPER **__IS A SINGLE MOTHER FROM NEVADA. SHE'S MOVING TO CALIFORNIA BECAUSE SHE'S JUST SIGNED A PUBLISHING DEAL AND SHE WANTS TO MOVE CLOSER TO WORK. NOT TO MENTION SHE'S ALWAYS WANTED TO LIVE NEAR THE BEACH. _

_SHE'S SORT OF__**NOMADIC, **__SHE'S MOVED AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR ALMOST EVERY YEAR SINCE HER DAUGHTER WAS BORN. _

_**INTERESTS INCLUDE: **__READING, PHOTOGRAPHY, DIY PROJECTS, WATCHING OLD MOVIES, HAPPY HOUR, WORK, SPENDING TIME WITH HER DAUGHTER, WRITING, LONG DRIVES, DRINKING WINE, GOING TO THE BEACH, SHE LOVES STUDYING THE PARANORMAL DOING THINGS LIKE GHOST HUNTS, GHOST TOURS, ETC, SHE'S VERY FASCINATED WITH THE DARKER SIDE OF LIFE... (*CLICHE, I KNOW.. BUT THESE ARE JUST SOME OF HER INTERESTS*)_

_SHE'S ACTUALLY A__**NOVELIST **__WHO'S JUST SIGNED WITH A PUBLISHING COMPANY IN CALIFORNIA WHICH IS ONE OF THE MAJOR REASONS THAT THE MOTHER DAUGHTER DUO MOVED TO MURDER HOUSE._

_**SHE WOUND UP GETTING MURDER HOUSE AFTER SEEING IT IN A REAL ESTATE LISTING ONLINE. **__OF COURSE SHE DID HER RESEARCH AND SHE KNOWS THE HISTORY OF THE HOUSE.. ODDLY ENOUGH, IT DOESN'T BOTHER HER.. YET._

_**FAVORITE COLOR **__IS BABY BLUE_

_**THINKS OF HERSELF AS THE 'COOL MOM' **__SHE'S MORE OF A BEST FRIEND TO HER DAUGHTER THAN AN ACTUAL PARENT._

_**FAVORITE AUTHOR **__IS EDGAR ALLEN POE. SECOND FAVORITE IS SYLVIA PLATH._

_**FAVORITE KIND OF MUSIC **__IS LAID BACK ROCK AND ROLL FROM THE LATE 70'S, STUFF LIKE FLEETWOOD MAC, CCR, THE DOORS, JIMI HENDRIX... HIPPIE MUSIC. SHE ALSO LIKES STUFF LIKE BLACK SABBATH, SOME METALLICA AND CLASSICAL MUSIC._

_**FAVORITE MOVIE **__IS A TIE BETWEEN TOP GUN AND GHOST, IRONICALLY._

_**OCCASIONALLY SMOKES POT **__WHEN SHE'S WRITING OR IN THE WRITING PROCESS. NEVER LETS HER DAUGHTER SEE HER DO IT THOUGH, SHE USUALLY WAITS UNTIL A TIME WHEN AVA ISN'T AROUND TO DO IT._

_**SLEEPS LATE OFTEN.**_

_**DAUGHTER OC**_

_**AVA HOOPER **__IS SIXTEEN YEARS OLD. _

_**SHE'S AN ONLY CHILD **__AND GROWING UP HER FATHER WASN'T IN THE PICTURE, THE MAN LEFT HER MOTHER AS SOON AS HER MOTHER REVEALED THAT SHE WAS PREGNANT, SO SHE'S NEVER MET HER FATHER. AND IT'S NEVER ACTUALLY BOTHERED HER._

_**HAS MORE OF A BEST FRIEND RELATIONSHIP WITH HER MOTHER THAN SHE DOES A MOTHER DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP WHICH SECRETLY ANNOYS HER, **__SHE WISHES THAT HER MOTHER WOULD TREAT HER LIKE A DAUGHTER AND NOT A COMPANION SOMETIMES._

_**HATES THAT HER MOTHER IS A BIT OF A WORKAHOLIC **__AND__**LATELY IS HARDLY EVER HOME.**_

_**THE CONSTANT MOVING ALSO ANNOYS HER.**_

_**CAN BE A BIT TEMPERMENTAL, SHE IS DEFINITELY THE KIND OF GIRL WHO LOVES TO PUSH BOUNDARIES, SHE SEEMS LIKE SHE IS VERY CONFIDENT TO MOST PEOPLE, EVEN THOUGH DEEP DOWN, SHE REALLY ISN'T.. SHE'S FLIRTATIOUS AND OUTGOING AND CAN BE A BIT OF A SMARTASS. SHE'S ALSO INTELLIGENT THOUGH YOU'D NEVER GUESS IT IF YOU WENT BY HER ACTIONS. SHE'S PASSIONATE AND CREATIVE. SHE ISN'T ACTUALLY AS CONFIDENT AS SHE LETS PEOPLE BELIEVE, SHE'S GOT PRETTY LOW SELF ESTEEM ON OCCASION AND SOMTIMES GETS DEPRESSED BUT HIDES IT FROM EVERYONE, PRETENDING SHE'S PERFECTLY ALRIGHT.**_

_**SHE'S VERY INTO FASHION AND MAKEUP. **__TYPICALLY, SHE DRESSES MOSTLY IN DRESSES AND SKIRTS, OR ALMOST SECOND SKIN FITTING JEANS AND T SHIRTS. SHE LOVES WEARING HEELS AND SHE DOES WITH EVERYTHING ALMOST._

_**HER FAVORITE COLOR **__IS PALE PINK._

_**IDOLIZES OLD MOVIE STARLETS LIKE AUDREY HEPBURN, MARILYN MONROE.. **__SHE LOVES VINTAGE MOVIES AND CLOTHING FOR THAT REASON._

_**SHE HAS LONG LIGHT BROWN HAIR THAT'S NATURALLY CURLY AND SHE KEEPS A FEW BLONDE HIGHLIGHTS IN IT, BANGS. HER EYES ARE LIGHT GREEN AND SHE'S CURVY FOR HER AGE (SHE CAN PASS FOR AN OLDER GIRL, SHE KNOWS BECAUSE SHE'S DONE IT TO GET INTO A BAR BEFORE). SHE'S GOT A TATTOO, IT'S ON HER INNER RIGHT WRIST, IT'S A DREAM CATCHER WITH AN OSCAR WILDE QUOTE BENEATH IT. SHE IS ABOUT 5'4 TALL.**_

_**HOBBIES INCLUDE **__WRITING IN HER JOURNAL, DANCING, GOING TO THE BEACH, WATCHING MOVIES, LONG DRIVES, PHOTOGRAPHY, DRAWING, GOING SHOPPING, CHEERLEADING, ARCHERY, HELPING HER MOTHER WITH DIY PROJECTS, FINDING ANY AND ALL SORTS OF TROUBLE TO GET INTO, READING, EXPLORING, TRYING NEW THINGS..._

_**FAVORITE MUSIC IS PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING. **__SHE LOVES STUFF LIKE AEROSMITH, NIRVANA, A LOT OF POP ARTISTS.. AS LONG AS IT'S GOT A GOOD BEAT SHE'LL LISTEN TO IT._

_**FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL **__IS ENGLISH WITH HISTORY COMING IN A CLOSE SECOND BECAUSE SHE LOVES LEARNING ABOUT THE PAST._

_**LEAST FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL IS **__MATH. SHE UTTERLY HATES MATH._

_**FAVORITE BOOKS ARE **__THE HUNGER GAMES SERIES, THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, FIFTY SHADES OF GRAY, THE HARRY POTTER SERIES, DIVERGENT, ANNE RICE'S VAMPIRE CHRONICLES, ANYTHING VC ANDREWS HAS EVER WRITTEN SHE'S PRETTY MUCH READ._

_**FAVORITE TV SHOW **__IS SUPERNATURAL._

_**FAVORITE MOVIE IS **__THE REMAKE OF ROMEO + JULIET_

_**NERVOUS HABITS ARE **__HAIR TWISTING, SHUFFLING HER FEET, BITING HER LOWER LIP, PACING, SWEARING, OCCASIONAL STUTTERING._

_**IS AFRAID OF **__SMALL SPACES, THE DARK, CATS, BATS AND MICE. SHE'S ALSO NOT A REALLY BIG FAN OF SPIDERS._

_**FAVORITE ANIMAL IS **__A PANDA BEAR._

_**FAVORITE FOOD IS **__TRIPLE CHEESE AND BACON MACARONI AND CHEESE._

_**LOVES **__BEN AND JERRYS ICE CREAM._

_**RUNS TRACK, IS A MEMBER OF THE DEBATE TEAM AND A CHEERLEADER **__AT WESTFIELD HIGH__**.**_


	2. CH 01 HOME SWEET HOME I

_CHAPTER 01_

" The stories aren't true though, right?" Ava asked her mother as the drive of their new house came into view. The sun was setting behind the house, the duskiness of the sky sort of lent a creepy vibe to the semi renovated mansion and in short?

Ava just wasn't fond with the place, already. But rather than argue with her mother, because for one, she was too exhausted from the ride there to do so, she asked her question and went back to silently glaring out the window at the house as it came closer into view.

She hated it here already and she hadn't even spent one night in the place. It was just.. It was fucking creepy, really. And the knowledge of everything that supposedly happened there didn't help matters any.. Oh but her mother had loved that, the house had a history and it was perfect for 'research' for her mom's 'book project'.. A project that was an ongoing process and had been since Ava was probably in diapers. She'd finally sold a manuscript last summer and since then the woman had been churning them out left and right. They'd moved here because it was closer to her mom's publisher and her agent..

Which was a joke, really because Ava wasn't stupid.. Ava knew that her mom loved being unreachable.. Fact of the matter? For some ungodly reason, her mother had finally lost her damn mind.. And she'd wanted this house, so any excuse to get them moving into it was convenient enough for her to use.

Ava was used to it by now, they moved all the time and after the first few moves? She barelay bothered to get upset anymore. Hell, she was even starting to see each new move as an adventure of sorts.

What really got her about this whole arrangement though, was that as often as her mother liked to pick them up and move them for no apparent reason, she suddenly thought it'd be a 'good investment idea' to buy this crappy house and move into it when the woman knew fully well that she'd never actually STAY once they'd lived there a little while. It was wasting a lot of money that while, sure, they had it to waste for now, things might not always be that way.

Ava just didn't see where her mom's buying this house made any sort of logical sense. But it was in California and it was a new experience.. From the looks of it though, Ava just wasn't entirely sure it'd be a good new experience.

But she'd adapt, she'd fall into a routine and then most likely by summertime, her mom would be over this house and they'd be on to a new place.

She had to hope for that because frankly, what she was seeing right now, well, it was scaring the living shit out of her and she hadn't even gone inside the place yet.

"Did you have to ask the realtor to meet us at night, Rosalie?" Ava asked her mother as Rosalie smiled at her daughter and said with a bright grin, "Oh would you relax? Where is your sense of adventure?"

"I must have left it in my other outfit." Ava retorted as she slipped on lipgloss and shoved her feet into a pair of wedge heeled sandals she'd discarded about five hours ago when her feet just couldn't take it anymore.

"Good one." Rosalie laughed as she rubbed her arms and got out of the convertible, stood there looking up at the house..

Home sweet home..

Ava happened to look up on the second story, in one of the bay windows and her hand went to her mouth for a moment as she stared. If she weren't so sleepy, she'd almost swear she'd just seen someone, standing there in the window, but then they'd vanished before she could even get a second look really to confirm that she had seen someone.

"Are you okay, Ava?"

"I'm good.. Probably just lack of sleep. Where is that realtor? I wanna crash in my bed. Like, literally, Rosalie.. I've never been this exhausted in my entire life." Ava said as Rosalie laughed at her daughter and said "You slept. That hotel wasn't too bad. Don't be so dramatic."

Ava gave her mother a dirty look and said "I wasn't being dramatic." as she perched on the edge of their car's hood and drummed her fingers impatiently. Yep, something about this house just didn't feel right.

Maybe it was all the rumors about the houses history..

Maybe it was Ava being fed up with all the moving and her mother's insistance that each time was 'the last time' and her craving for stability.

Or maybe it was instinct..

But either way, Ava wasn't really sure her mother had made the smartest decision when she decided to buy this house.

Headlights lit up the driveway and a Land Rover came to a stop behind their convertible. A plump and rather plain looking woman got out and asked quietly, "Are you Rosalie Hooper?"

"Yes, ma'am." Rosalie said as the agent hurriedly thrust keys into her hand and said in a rush, "I went ahead and got the power and water turned on. The movers came with your things three days ago. This house is all yours now and you have my card."

She started to walk briskly towards her own vehice, staring back at the house with a fearful look in her eyes and Rosalie watched the woman curiously as she called out "No paperwork?"

"We'll do it in my office.. On Monday.. I'd love to stay and chat, get to know you both but I've really got to be going." the realtor lied as she hurriedly pulled out of the driveway while holding her breath.

She held her breath all the way down the street and she truthfully didn't breathe any easier until she was at least three blocks away from the damn house. She couldn't stay there with those two nice females..

After all, she'd basically signed the mother straight into both of their own deaths.. Just so she could finally get the burden of that house off of her hands once and for all.

Mother and daughter exchanged a look and Ava ventured cautiously up onto the porch. Her mother tossed her the keys to the house and she fumbled with them and the doorknob, finally unlocking the door.

"Well?"

"Well what, Rosalie?"

"Are we going in or staying out here all night?" Rosalie asked her daughter who stepped back and said with a grand sweep of her arms and a sarcastic tone, "You first, mommy."

Rosalie gave her daughter a warning look and stepped inside, flipped a light switch. She rubbed her arms and called out to Ava, "Air conditioning works.. Place feels like a meat locker."

"Or a morgue." Ava retorted under her breath as she followed her mother inside and walked around the hallway downstairs, opening doors, peering into rooms.. the entire time she did this, she got the distinct feeling she was being watched and once or twice, the sensation became so intense that she rubbed her neck and stopped moving around to look around wherever she happened to be.

"It's just those damn stories." she told herself as she finally ventured up the staircase to choose her room. She chose a room at the end of the hallway, one of the rooms with a bay window and it's own attached bathroom and walk in closet.

"Hmm, cool.. Somebody left a few circa 95 grunge posters in here.. That naked chick on the hood of a Ferrari poster's gots to go though." Ava muttered aloud as she looked around the room she'd chosen to be her new bedroom.

Tate watched the girl from the safety of his closet.. He scoffed when she talked about taking down the poster he had up.

"The fuck does she think she is anyway?" he wondered angrily to himself as he continued to watch her, watching her bring boxes up the stairs and into the room, watching her and a woman who was either her older sister or her mother carrying mattresses, then a huge bed frame, then a vanity table and a desk into the room.

"Fuckin great.. My rooms bein invaded by a spoiled god damn brat." Tate said as he rolled his eyes and tried to will himself bored with watching her only to find out that for whatever reason, he couldn't. There was this weird pull to the girl and he wanted to get closer.

Common sense kept him hidden for the moment because it was as he'd once told Violet, "What if I'd just said Hi.. I'm tate and I'm dead.. Wanna hook up?"

Yeah, he could see that going over really, really well.


	3. CH 01 HOME S WEET HOME II

_CHAPTER 02_

The deafening roar of loud and obnoxious hard rock music had Constance Langdon raising a brow as she stood on the porch of her old house and knocked rather impatiently, the flyer that the teenage resident passed out about babysitting services to all the neighbors earlier in the week in her hands, Addie standing warily at her side.

"Now you listen to me, girl and you listen good.. Don't you go scarin this girl and fillin her head full of crap. Your brother needs her. Least that's what the psychic I talked to said. You be a good girl and for the love of Christ, act like you got sense this time." Constance lectured her daughter as she knocked again. Inside the house, the hard rock music switched to bass heavy hip hop and Constance rolled her eyes as she muttered in annoyance, "Dear God in heaven, she's gonna be one of those types."

The door flew open as a teenage girl with long and kinky curly hair filled it, looking at her with a raised brow until Constance held up the flyer and said with her best 'get along' smile, "Came to ask you about this?" which made the teenage girl nod and then yell up the stairs "Rosalie, can you duck into my room and turn my damn radio down? Someone's outside." as she looked at Constance with almost sparkling hazel eyes and said sheepishly, "Sorry, I was umm.. My mother Rosalie and I were cleaning out the upstairs.. Had the radio going. You didn't stay out here too long, right?"

Constance shook her head, laughed a little, easing towards the girl, only partially. But curiousity made her ask, "You call your momma by her first name, child?" to which the sixteen year old girl nodded and said with a roll of her eyes, "My mother insists on it. Says she's too damn young to feel old or something."

"Ahh." Constance replied as she scanned the hallway behind the girl, hoping to catch a glimpse of her son skulking about the place.

Ava bit her lower lip and asked with a smirk, "Wanna come in?" which made the woman nod, smile and step in. The music droned on upstairs, and Ava called up the stairs, "Rosalie, damn it, the music.. I can't hear shit down here."

"Watch your mouth, sweetie pie." Rosalie called back down to her daughter as she caught sight of some of the neighbors from just up the street. She smoothed her hands over her jeans and walked down after cutting down the radio, smiled at the woman and the girl standing beside her staring up at her own daughter intently. "This is my daughter Ava. I'm Rosalie.. I do believe I saw you two earlier this week? When I was driving Ava here around to pass out her babysitting flyers?"

Constance nodded and said "Came to talk to Ava about that, actually.. I'm kind of in between sitters for my girl here.. She's picky about who stays with her, her usual sitter's not doing it anymore. Thought I'd bring her over, let the two of them try and get to know each other, then ask if Ava wants to get her first customer if it works out well."

Ava smiled at the girl and asked quietly, "Wanna come up to my room?" as the girl nodded warily. She felt bad because she figured that as stupid as most people were, she could just kind of sense that Addie had a lot of hell she had to endure, between her disease, her strange mother, the snotty girls up the street that Ava had already had a run in with (and told off).

Addie stared at the girl for a few moments. Hardly anyone was nice to her so it was hard for her to tell if Ava was being nice to her because she wanted to, or just because their parents were around. But when her mother nudged her, she stopped staring and followed Ava up the stairs.. To her brother's old room. She looked at Ava a moment and with a smirk Ava said "Picked it because it's got the view, a bathroom and a huge ass closet for all my clothes and shoes.. Because trust me girl, I love my clothes and shoes." as she opened the door, let Addie walk in.

"I have a gaming system, board games.. Or we can just watch movies or something." Ava said as Addie looked at a big board full of pictures of the girl her mother was making her befriend with wide eyed curiousity.

"That's me.. Most of those are taken pretty much everywhere.. My mom, she kinda moves more than she bothers changing panties." Ava remarked as Addie asked, "You cheer?"

"Mhmm."

"Ooh, I like your hair in this one.. I wanna be a pretty girl too." Addie said, opening up a little. Ava looked at her and said with a giggle, "You are a pretty girl, hon.. it's all in perception.. And I'm not really pretty, trust me." shrugging as Addie looked at her in curiousity. Why did she think she wasn't pretty? Addie really did wish she looked half as pretty as this girl or even the ones up the street who were always so mean to her.

Ava wound her hand through her long thick hair and bit her lower lip then added, "Besides.. Being pretty is overrated, girl. Just be you." which made her think to herself, _'Well look who's a little hypocrite, huh? Tellin her to be herself, Ava and you hate everything about yourself.. But the girl looks like she's constantly getting teased, you can kinda just tell by the way she acts.. She needs the confidence too. Probably more than you if her mom snapping at her in such a mean way is anything to go by.' _but cleared her throat and then asked, "So.. What kinda stuff do you like?"

"Makeup.. And reading.. Oh and boys.." Addie said in a rush, laughing a little, biting her lip when she caught sight of her brother lurking in a corner of the room, just out of Ava's line of vision. She gave him a startled look but quickly diverted her eyes, watched the pretty new neighbor who was sleeping in her brother's old bedroom instead as the girl did some kind of dance stretching. "You can dance?" Addie asked with excitement in her eyes.

Ava stopped warming up and nodded, giggled as she ran to the door of her bedroom and shut the door quickly. 'Yeah, I can. I can show you some stuff." as Tate watched, out of sight from the corner of the room, arms crossed, raised brow as he thought to himself, _'The fuck is she, some kind of bendy straw?' _and watched her with his sister.. If Addie were here.. That had to mean his mom was here. Just the thought of his mother had the teenage male rolling his eyes and getting an angry scowl on his face.

What was she doing here, really? He had nothing to really say to her and frankly, he didn't want to see her, either. When the new resident of his old bedroom ducked into his old bathroom he hissed his sister's name and asked, "What the fuck is she up to?"

Addie tried to pretend she didn't hear him, but Tate kept on until Addie said quietly, "Momma wants me to get to know Ava.. Because of something that weird lady said last time Momma was visiting her." and looked around the girls room nervously as she asked Tate, "Why are you watching her?"

Tate shrugged and said solemnly, "Dunno, actually. She's fuckin annoying." as he bit his lower lip and hastily made a retreat when he heard the bathroom door opening and saw Ava just about to come out and back into the room.

Ava looked around. She could've sworn just now that the girl in her room with her, Addie, had been talking to somebody.. That she heard a guy talking to Addie. She asked Addie "Was somebody in here?" and Addie looked for a moment as if she wanted to say something but quietly shook her head while longingly looking at some of Ava's laundry on the bed.

Addie was relieved when her mom called her name. The new girl living here was really nice and she hated having to lie and sneak around because her mother was forcing her.

When Addie left, Ava looked around the room, brow raised as she rubbed her arms.. That was bizarre, she thought to herself, Addie's reaction to what she asked her. She put it down to Addie being nervous and let it go for the moment.. Until she happened to see something out of the corner of her eye and in a panic, she ran down the stairs.

It looked like what she'd seen earlier in the week, standing in that bay window of the upstairs portion of the house before they'd actually set foot in it the first time. What the hell was going on?


	4. CH 02 MEETING DR HARMON

_CHAPTER 03_

He'd raised his hand to knock, but before Ben Harmon actually could knock, the door was thrown open and an almost waif like sixteen year old girl with long and kinky curly hair stood leaned in the door, looking up at him with a curious expression on her face as she blew a bright blue bubble with what smelled like cotton candy chewing gum. He peered into the house behind the girl, he breathed just a fraction easier when he didn't see that little prick Tate Langdon skulking around in the shadows.

"Are your parents home?" Ben asked as the girl nodded then said "Rosalie's upstairs. She's in 'the zone' again. It could be hours or days before she comes out of her workspace for air." as she asked him curiously, "Why, what's up? If you're selling stuff, man.. My mom's already spent all her money on this hellhole." with an irritated roll of the eye. Ben looked at the girl and chuckled a little then said "I'm a neighbor.. Thought I'd stop by and meet the new neighbors. I'm also a therapist." as he thought to himself _'And the fact that you call your mother by her first name, and seem easily annoyed with her working, the house and probably a lot of other things.. You might be a candidate for therapy. Anything to stop another teenage girl from taking their own damn life like my Violet did.' _and then blurted nosily, "Your mother is Rosalie?"

"Mhmm. She doesn't like me calling her mom. Says it makes her feel old." Ava said as she eyed the guy with curiousity. Just now, if she didn't know any better, she'd almost swear he was sizing her up or something. She stepped aside and said simply, "Hang on a sec.. I'll see if I can get her to come out and meet you. She's really into meeting new people. There's cookies and apples and soda in the kitchen though, if you're hungry." as she walked into the kitchen, came out with an apple and a soda, a diet soda for herself and a green apple. He eyed the diet drink.. She might have self esteem issues.

He was here to keep the two females currently inhabiting Murder House from the fate he'd suffered so yes, every single thing the teenage girl did was currently being scrutinized by him at the moment. "Thanks." he said as the girl nodded, jogged up the staircase and rapped on the door to his old office, peeked inside. She disappeared into the office and then a few minutes later, Ben felt for the second time in his life like he'd gotten the breath knocked right out of him as Rosalie walked down the stairs.

_'It's only because she's almost a carbon copy of Vivian but with dark hair.' _he told himself mentally as he smiled and said "It's nice to meet you two. I actually came by to give you my business card? Ms. Langdon told me you two were living alone.. Figured it couldn't hurt to have someone you could call in case something happens to the place." as he added to himself, _'If I'd been able to burn the fucking house to the ground after I lost them none of this would be happening. Least I can do to help them is kind of be a watchful eye.' _and watching how the mother and daughter duo interacted with each other.

He noticed that while Rosalie seemed to be smiling flirtatiously (which visibly annoyed Ava for whatever reason, he also noticed) Ava seemed to be acting older than her age, remaining aloof, standoffish. She took the card, read it carefully and looked up at him to say "Thanks. We'll put it in our address book won't we, Rosalie."

Her mother nodded and said in a flirty tone, "We definitely will, Ava. It's nice to meet you, Dr. Harmon." and extended her hand, officially introducing herself as "Ms. Rosalie Hooper" as she took her hand back and added, "I'm a work from home mom.. A writer."

"The science fiction series?" Ben asked, raking his hand through his hair, shocked. Rosalie nodded, chuckled as she said "Guilty. It wasn't my best but it was a good idea at the time. I'm working on a sequel now while making notes for a third."

"I do therapy sessions." Ben offered as Rosalie studied him thoughtfully for a moment. Ava, by now, Ben had noticed, had given her mother another annoyed eye roll and walked back up the stairs and into her room with the door banging quietly shut behind her. Maybe her mother's slightly childlike manner bothered the daughter?

"Actually, Dr. Harmon.. My daughter could use a session or two.. This move.. She really seems to be concerned about living here. She's sort of been down lately also and she won't really talk to me, I'm afraid."

Smirking as he caught sight of a glaring Tate roaming the hallway, he said gently, "Send her to me. I might be able to talk to her. It might just help me too.. Your daughter reminds me a lot of mine. She passed away almost 3 years ago. Since then I've kind of made working with teenagers and their parents my specialty.. When your own kid's struggling and you don't see it as a parent it blows your mind."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Dr. Harmon.. When can you start seeing her?"

"I have a slot open tomorrow afternoon." Ben said after consulting his schedule just to be sure. They talked for a few moments longer, idly, and he left the house satisfied that maybe, just maybe he'd started in time enough to save two people from a very cruel fate down the road. He had to hope so.


	5. CH03 SOMETHING ISNT RIGHT I

_CHAPTER 04_

Her first day at Westfield High had been uneventful considering she was starting in October, and everyone at the school pretty much knew everyone.. Outside of a few strange looks she got when asked about how it felt to actually live in Murder House, Ava felt she'd handled it fairly well and she was going back over her day mentally as she rounded a corner about a block away from the house and distractedly smacked right into someone.

"Sorry, wasn't really paying attention to where I was going." she started, her voice though, grew smaller somewhere between sorry and going and the sentence hung awkwardly in mid air as she gasped at the man's badly burned face. Her hairs on her arms stood and she backed away a little. Something about the man just seemed dangerous.

Like scary as hell dangerous.

And Ava wanted no actual part of it, honestly.

"It's okay.. Say, aren't you that pretty little girl who just moved into that big house on the corner?" Larry asked coyly as she nodded. He could practically smell the fear on the girl, this made him smirk a little. He wanted to scare her. The more scared she got, the better off she and her mother would be. The house, as far as he was concerned, had done more than enough damage in the past, to him and to lots of others as well.

Ava studied him a moment, fear in her eyes. She felt her heart thundering in her chest, she half expected it to burst through her ribcage at any moment. "I.. I gotta go, sir." she stammered as she took off at a run as fast as she could with the man calling out behind her, "Come back here. .I just wanna talk to you.. It's about the house."

As his voice faded in the background, she saw the fence to her own yard approaching and she raced through it, ran through the front door, ran up the stairs and into her room as she flopped on the bed on her back and tried to do her best to calm down. "Just fucking great.. Not only does my mother sink every last penny she has into this hole in the earth, but now apparently, there's a pedo in the neighborhood and he likes sixteen year old girls. Fuck my life right now." she said in a rush as her mother knocked on the door to her room.

"Sweetie?"

"Yeah, Rosalie?"

"Addie, that girl from down the street is on the porch.. Are you okay? How did your first day go? Meet any boys?" Rosalie asked as the door opened and Ava looked at her mother, wild eyed, shaking a little. Rosalie eyed her in concern and then asked quietly, "Did it go that badly?"

"Oh no, no.. Not at all, Rosalie. .You just moved us onto a block that a pedophile happens to fucking live on, that's all." Ava spat as Rosalie sighed and said "Ava, don't start today.. Look, I know some weird things have been happening around here lately but houses settle, sweetie.. Don't you think you're being a shade dramatic, sweetie?"

"Whatever you say, Rosalie." Ava said through gritted teeth as she looked at her mother then solemnly trudged down the stairs, muttering to herself the whole time, "Strange things, my ass.. I saw some fucked up looking thing watching me shower! And when I turned around, it was gone.. And so were my bra and panties. The lights constantly flicker, a bulb in the kitchen fucking shattered.. Then there's the fact that no matter how high you turn the damn central heating and air it always feels just like a fucking morgue temperature wise." as she threw the door open and promptly slapped on her brightest 'totally fine' grin and lead Addie into the house and up the stairs to her room.

Rosalie sighed as her daughter ran past and shook her head before disappearing into her office, flopping into a masculine looking leather chair and letting out a deep breath.. For the better part of a week or two now, since they'd arrived at this house and moved in, Ava had this bug up her ass about the place.. She was jittery and jumpy and she was hostile and Rosalie was constantly on edge too.

Didn't help that Rosalie kept having these strange damn dreams where she couldn't see much but she could hear horrifying screams and she could smell burning hair and flesh.. And she kept waking from these dreams in front of the fireplace. "I have got to lay off the nightmare fuel.. Yeah, it's helping my latest book but.. It's driving both of us totally bonkers." Rosalie spoke aloud as she gasped at feeling coldness touch her cheek, hearing a whisper in her ear that said _'Burn the house to the ground. Do it while Ava's sleeping and leave. You won't have the god damn ungrateful little bitch tying you down anymore and you'll be able to go anywhere you want without her whining. DO IT!'_

She gasped as she came out of a trance and shivered. There was nothing she could logically say to write off what just happened to her. She hadn't gotten high recently, she hadn't drank any wine or hard liquor, she was stone cold sober.. And she knew with absolute certainty that she had heard someone talking to her.

And she'd almost gotten up and walked down the hall to Ava's room and walked in, killed her.. If she hadn't woken from the trance... She instinctively walked down the hall and poked her head into Ava's room and smiled, watching Ava giving the girl next door a "make under make over". The poor kid needed friends, earlier, Rosalie had heard some of the girls up the street teasing the poor girl to the point of tears. And that mother of hers..

Rosalie knew she had no room to talk about being a fit or unfit parent, but while she might have her vices... She'd never say or do half the things to her kid that she felt like Constance did to Addie.

"Did you two hear something?"

"Houses settle, Rosalie.. Or that's what you told me four times on Saturday when I swore I heard something walking the attic at night." Ava retorted as she said quietly, an apologetic smile, "Sorry, Rosalie.. I'm just.. Today was stressful."

"When you two are done making Addie even prettier than she already is, come down to the kitchen.. We'll have milkshakes and chill.. Isn't that what kids say now?"

Addie rolled her eyes and smiled a little but nodded then said "I'd like that.. Addie? I think you should have a milkshake.. What about you?"

"Strawberry?" Addie asked hopefully as Ava said "I think we can arrange that." before mouthing to her mother, "We really need to talk later. I'll tell you what happened on my way home from school."

Rosalie gave her daughter a nod and closed the door, and only then did the hammering of her rapidly beating heart slow back down to normal.. She'd been so afraid just now for Ava's safety.. But surely the stuff about this house was just rumor..

Right?

Her stomach churned nervously.. Had she just made a huge and costly mistake? Would they be trapped here now?


	6. CH 04 STRANGER AND STRANGER

_CHAPTER 05_

The door being knocked on had Ava grumbling to herself as she called out from the den, "Just a damn minute." as she made herself get off the couch and pause the movie she'd been watching, Halloween. She peered through the glass on the door and saw a pretty and relatively young red haired woman standing there and with a raised brow, she opened the door just a sliver and asked, "Are you my mom's manager?"

"No, I'm afraid not. My name's Moira.. And I did come to speak to your mother.. I called earlier in the week? About continuing to work around the house as a maid? She told me to come by today... Is she in?" Moira asked as she looked at the girl for a few moments. She could just sense the hidden sadness beneath the girls hazel eyes but she said nothing.

"Leave it to Rosalie to schedule a meeting and then flake out." Ava muttered as Moira raised her brow and asked, "Rosalie?" which Ava replied solemnly, "My mother. She's just went into her office to write. Or pretend to, she's been sitting in front of her computer for the whole week staring at a damn blank page.. writers block or something." Ava said with a slight smile as she stepped aside and let the woman in, raising a brow when the woman looked around as if she were looking for something. "I'll go try and drag her out." Ava offered, the hairs on her arms standing at attention for some strange reason just as they had two weeks ago when that really strange and scary guy stopped her when she was on her way home from school one afternoon. It happened now and then in this house and it never failed to really scare the shit out of her when it did.

She walked up the stairs and knocked on her mom's office door. She could hear Jefferson Airplane blaring from within, so she grumbled and went to turn the knob only to find the door locked which made her raise a brow and then knock on the door louder. Moments later, her mother threw the door open and snapped "Don't you know I'm working up here?"

"You have a meeting, Rosalie. That woman who called earlier this week?" Ava asked, hoping to draw at least a small spark of recognition. Instead, her mother gave her a blank look and then practically growled "Get back downstairs.. Handle it." at her before slamming the door shut in Ava's face. Ava flipped off the door and walked back downstairs where the woman stood waiting patiently and looking at the woman said "How soon can you start? And can you handle keeping up with schedules and stuff?"

"I suppose I could try, though I'm not much for technology."

"That won't matter, ma'am. My mom.. I love her but she's a notorious flake.. Sometimes feels like I'm the god damn grown up." Ava stated bluntly as Moira looked at her and Ava went on to explain, "All you'd have to do is write down phone messages. Because when she's in that office lately? She won't come out for hours or days at a time.. And I have tons of things to do after school, I mean I have track, cheerleading, debate.. I'm not around enough to do it for her."

Moira nodded and then with a smile asked, "What's your name?"

"Avaline. But you can call me Ava." Ava said as she asked, "And you are Moira.. Right?" as the other woman smiled and then nodded and asked her "How old are you?"

"Sixteen and going on thirty." Ava joked as she looked at the woman and rubbed her arms.. The hairs on them were still standing at attention and she felt something was off about this woman too, just like with that man about two weeks ago.. It was strange, really, but Ava put it down to nerves. She'd been worried about her mom a lot lately, the only time her mom did dare poke her head out of her office and rejoin the living was when either Constance or that guy from up the street came by.

And the guy from up the street came over a lot lately.. He and her mother seemed to be getting close. But she held back her opinions on that for now, after all, she barely knew the guy. If he hurt her and they wound up moving as a result though, she wasn't going to be a happy girl, this much she knew already.. She was starting to find a routine here, she liked the high school she went to and for once she was pretty much halfway content with her life..

Now if only the damn house they were living in currently and the people in her neighborhood would stop scaring the shit out of her, her life would be almost perfect.

Moira laughed at the girls answer and then asked, "When can I start?"

"How about tomorrow? I mean I have to stay after school then rush back here, from the pep rally, come back here and grab my costume for the homecoming dance... It's gonna be hellish.. I could really, really use the help and since my damn mother won't come out of her office..." Ava asked sheepishly as the woman smiled and nodded then said "I'll see you tomorrow then. And thanks.."

"Not a problem. I owe you the thanks, actually, because I clean all the time but for some reason, when I come back from school it's like I haven't done anything around here." which made Moira laugh and then say one final goodbye. As she turned to walk down the stone walkway and through the gate, she saw Constance walking across the street, Addie in tow, and scowled at Constance who stalked over and hissed, "If you mess this up for my poor son."

"The farther that girl stays from Tate, Constance, the better off she is. You think we don't all know what you're up to? Just because that stupid friend of yours has you convinced that with the right circumstances you can bring him back? Some things are better off dead and gone. He was a bad child."

"And you're an adultering whore."

"Takes one to know one." Moira hissed.

Ava had just closed the front door to the house when she heard Addie calling her name through it. She stretched and sprang off the couch and ran over, opening the door as she smiled at Addie and asked, "What's up, A?"

"I wanted to see your dress and listen to music. Momma wanted to see your momma." Addie said as Constance asked casually, "Excited for that dance tomorrow?" which made Ava laugh a little and then say "Kind of and kind of not.. I mean my friends all have dates.. I however, opted not to go with a date. Guys in my class are all fucking idiots." Ava mused aloud as Constance bit back a stiff laugh and then asked, "How so, girl?"

"They're too busy trying to climb into bed with a girl to even get to know her.. And they're always doing stupid shit to get attention." Ava admitted as she bit her lower lip and added in a quieter tone, "Besides.. Thanks to me living in this hellhole, guys kinda avoid me." which made Constance raise her brow. Instead of commenting, she asked Ava, "Your momma around, girl?"

"In that damn office of hers. I warn you now, it reeks of pot up there." Ava said as she stepped aside and made a sweeping motion with her arm and let Constance go up and into her mother's office.

She turned to Addie and asked, "So.. wanna help me decide which costume I'm gonna wear? I'm torn between black cat, angel and a few others... And I might just have a costume for you too.." which made Addie beam brightly and ask "Really?"

"Mhmm. I told you I'd walk around the block with you when I got back from the game, before I went to the dance, didn't I?" Ava asked as Addie clapped and then followed her up the stairs.. On their way up, she felt a chill pass through her, she could've sworn she heard her name being whispered but she put it off to nerves.

Lately, it seemed like she was constantly nervous when she was at home. Between her mother's odd mood swings and the weird crap the kept happening in the house and close to it.. Ava just wasn't sure how much more she'd be able to take before she snapped. The weird part of it was that the closer it actually got to Halloween, the more tense and nervous she felt..

Like something big might happen.


	7. CH 04 STRANGER AND STRANGER II

_CHAPTER 06_

He'd dared to venture off the property because he just had to see Violet.. The only way to do that, now, was to go to her grave.. It had been a stupid, stupid mistake of his and he knew this just as soon as he spotted the victims of the crime he'd committed against them rounding a corner.. The jock, Kevin, if he could remember the damn guy's name correctly, caught up to him quickly, and then the rest of the group descended on him as well. He was doing his best, but he couldn't really fight off all of them at once currently, it wasn't peak wandering hour just yet..

Ava rounded the corner, grumbling to herself.. It'd been the day from hell for her at school, and currently, she was in one hell of a mood.. And considering just not going to the dance tonight, at all.. Not after the way some prick named Austin had totally humiliated her earlier by asking her to the dance then laughing his ass off (in front of everyone) when she said she'd go with him.

He'd told her straight up that the only reason he'd asked was a bet.

His laughter and the things he'd said still stung her, even now, and that had been about four hours ago now when it had all taken place.

And then she was worried about her mother because Rosalie had basically retreated into the room she called her "home office" and she didn't even come out to eat meals anymore.. When Ava passed by the room just before bed the night before,she could've sworn she heard her mother whispering as if she were talking to someone else on the other side of the door.

Then, around midnight last night, Ava woke up in the middle of one hell of a sex dream.. About a guy she'd never seen before in her entire life. So she was currently worried, frustrated and a little bitter and hurt when she happened to cross paths with the group of kids around her own age that were all but beating the living hell out of a guy.

"Fucking leave the guy alone."

Kevin eyed the girl with a raised brow as he ground out, "This is none of your business. You might wanna get the fuck out of here." which made her look at him, roll her eyes in disgust

Tate looked up as best as he could and saw Ava standing toe to toe with Kevin, chewing the guy's ass out, she even slapped the guy. Kevin, he noticed, seemed amused by it. For some reason, Tate's adrenaline kicked in around the time Kevin grabbed Ava's wrist when she'd been about to walk away, claiming she was going to find the cops or something.

"Don't fuckin touch her, man. She's got no clue what the fuck's going on. This is between us." Tate snarled as he went to lunge for Kevin, only to wind up having to fight off Kevin's band of idiots. While he was doing this, Ava, to his shock, nailed the preppy cheerleader bitch girlfriend of Kevin right in the face with her notebook as she smirked.

A car coming up the street made the group scatter and Ava walked over, cautiously, just stood there staring at him for about fifteen minutes as if she were in some form of shellshock or something before finally extending her hand, looking down at him and managing to say quietly, "C'mon.. "

"Get lost. I'm fine, don't need pity." Tate grumbled as Ava looked at him and for a split second, she looked hurt.. But then she gave him a bitter smile as she said stiffly, "I don't pity you, actually. Just thought you might actually want to not get your ass totally handed to you.. But hey, since you clearly have a handle on things, I'm gonna go." before stomping off angrily.

The words of his mothers best friend, the psychic chick came back to him and his newly found conscience ( what little there was) kicked in and he caught up to her, tapped her shoulder. "Nobody usually helps me, ya know?" he offered as an explanation as she studied him a few moments then started to walk again, mumbling something under her breath as she did so. He caught up to her again and she stopped and turned around, hand tangling in that long and kinky light brown hair of hers as she bit her lower lip.

"Have I seen you before? You look really, really familiar.." she finally asked as he shrugged mysteriously and said "Name's Tate. What's yours?"

"Ava."

"Thought it was Avaline." Tate blurted as she rolled her eyes and said "No one calls me that.. Ever. I hate it." then asked him, "How'd you know that?" as he fumbled around for a few moments then said quietly, "My mom.. She lives down the block.. Heard her talking about you.. You live in that big house on the end of the street, right?"

Ava stared at him a few moments, perplexed.. If she'd never met the guy, what the fuck was she doing having a very detailed and racy, rated x dream about him? Biting her lower lip she nodded and asked, "Your mom.. She wouldn't happen to be Constance.. Right?"

He nodded and said quietly, "Unfortunately, yeah.. Addie comes over to your house a lot."

"She does. Addie's probably the only real friend I have here, sadly. I don't get why people have to be assholes to her.. She's really sweet."

He nodded again and then asked, "So.. Guess you're heading back to your house to get ready for that dance tonight?" as she shrugged, bit her thumb while pondering if she'd actually go to the dance or not.. She was a cheerleader..

But parts of her were still upset about what had been done to her in front of everyone in the lunch room earlier too.. And the way people treated her in general because of the history behind the house she lived in.

"Dunno. Thought about blowing it off.. People are fucking stupid." Ava answered as Tate looked at her and asked, "No date?"

"Don't want one, frankly, I mean the guys that we go to school with, if you haven't noticed, are all fuckin morons." Ava said as Tate started to correct her, then remembered yet again what the psychic told his mother and what his mother had gotten Addie to tell him, then quickly nodded in agreement. Ava asked him seconds later, "So.. How come I haven't ever seen you around?"

"Not exactly a people person." Tate admitted as Murder House came into view.. The good thing about Halloween was that he could wander and it wouldn't drain his energy. He wasn't tied to Murder House for this one particular day.. So he could walk down to his mother's house, go in and Ava would never realize just what he was.

Not that he actually gave a damn if she did or not..

"why'd you help me?" he asked as she shrugged and then said "Maybe because I hate it when people do that shit? Maybe because I actually give a damn about other people than myself?" as she stood at the gate to her house, looked at him and then said quietly, "I'm gonna walk around with Addie tonight. If you want, you can come with.."

He mulled it over a few moments and then decided to take her up on it, shrugging as he said with a smirk, "Yeah, I might."

"Gonna go get ready for the damn football game tonight. Since I have to cheer." Ava said as she stepped through her gate, leaned heavily against the other side of it and caught her breath.. Everything about that guy was as intense as it had been in her d ream.. She'd felt this weird connection to the guy, and despite everything in her telling her to leave him alone and run like hell, she couldn't help but want to actually get to know him.

She rubbed her arms.. As usual, she had goosebumps.. She'd been getting them a lot lately.. She'd also been seeing really, really weird shit in and out of her house lately.. Like the woman she'd bumped into about halfway down the street from her house.. The one with the blood all over her that nobody else around her saw.

"And I wonder why people are starting to treat me like I'm a freak." she muttered as she watched Tate disappear into Ms. Langdon's house and then went inside, into her own.


	8. CH 05 HALLOWEEN I

_CHAPTER 07_

The fact that her son was using a Halloween to escape the confines of Murder House and actually come to see her shocked and surprised her.. Not so much, however, that Constance Langdon let her guard down and became some stereotypical sweet mom. She glowered at him for a few moments and then said simply, "You're here."

"Had to do something, Mother.. She knows about you being my mom.. She assumes, I think, that I'm still living. Not really sure because she was acting like I scared her to death too." Tate admitted with a scowl as he drank a glass of water and greeted his mother's psychic friend, the one who kept insisting that Violet hadn't been it, she hadn't been the right one.. or strong enough to love him no matter what if you really wanted his honest to God opinion.. Still, sadly, he loved her with everything in him, even though she'd crossed over and left him here alone to rot.

"Her? Afraid of you? That girl, Tate, from what little I do know of her doesn't really seem to know the meaning of the word afraid." Constance mused as Tate gave her a quizzical look and Constance explained, "She got into it with three girls from Westfield High when they were terrorizing Addie.. And the last time you were playing peeping tom, son, she came over here wantin to talk, raised all sorts of hell about whoever was watchin her and how she was gonna teach them a lesson."

"I wasn't." Tate said as a surprise fit of jealousy washed over him and he growled. So that's what Thaddeus had been doing, hiding in the damn hallway closet at the top of the stairs near his old room.. And fucking Nora covered for her precious little baby, of course. Harmless Tate's ass.

He should've finished that stupid shithead off when he had the chance.

"How are the boys?" Constance asked. Tate sighed sadly and shook his head then said "I wouldn't know.. Nora keeps them hidden for the most part. At least she's a good mother." which made his mother give him an angry look, lean in as if she were going to slap him but instead, she asked, "What does bring you over, Tate? I mean you're always saying you hate me.. Why bother?"

"Because she thinks I fucking live here.. And I wanted to ask your friend a few things.."

"About what she saw in your future? About how just maybe there is a loophole and you can live again? Why bother? You'd only make a mess of things, again." Constance said brusquely as Tate looked at her a few moments and then said through gritted teeth, "I don't care about that.. I just wanna know what the hell makes her think that slightly annoying pain in the ass living in my room is somehow gonna fix me.. I'll never love her like.."

"Oh but you will, Tate.. It's already starting.. You're always watching her.. You, son, are only pretending to hate that poor girl." Constance said as she sipped her tea, gave him a know it all smirk. He glared at her and then said with a shrug, "So maybe she's not that bad.. She's hot.." as he sipped water. The door being knocked on had him raising a brow, Constance calling Addie down the stairs.

"Saved by the bell." Tate muttered as Constance gave him a look and he explained, "Apparently, Mother, she invited me to walk around tonight with her and with Addie."

Ava stood on the porch, swearing each time one of the 'ears' on her headband dipped low. Stupid black cat costume.. Maybe she should've just stayed home and watched movies.. She wasn't sure why, but instead of doing the logical thing when she'd been stupid and invited the object of her racy dreams to walk around with her and his sister, she'd actually invited him instead of running for the hills like her good common sense was practically screaming at her to do.

"Ms. Langdon? Is Addie ready?" Ava called out as the door opened and Tate stood in the doorway, leaned lazily against one side, watching her with curiousity as she paced and swore, tugged on the black pink and silver plaid mini skirt, mumbling to herself again. He wanted to laugh a little when she turned to face him and her face turned this pale pink.

"Look, about earlier.. If you don't wanna come with us, it's no skin off my..." Ava started as Tate shut the front door to the house and walked closer to her.. Immediately, like usual, her arms prickled with goosebumps. Something wild in those melted chocolate brown eyes seemed to scare her a little.. But apparently not enough for her to trust her gut and leave him alone.. She should've done that earlier, but she'd been unable to watch that group of other kids ganging up on him like that.

Oh, he'd put up one hell of a fight, but the fact remained.. They'd still ganged up on him.

"Would ya relax? You act like I'm gonna fuckin murder you or something.." Tate said as he heard his newly found conscience insisting, _'You might not kill her, Tate, but let's just review facts here.. Violet's gone.. You fucking hid her body from her man and let her think she was still alive.. Who fucking does that? And you wonder why she was in such a god damn hurry to cross over and leave you? You might not kill this girl, Tate, but you're an idiot if you even remotely think you're a good guy.'_

"It's not you."

"Then what is it?"

"Shit, okay?" Ava said through gritted teeth as she looked up at him, bit her lower lip nervously. "Just really weird shit."

He nodded and then Addie stepped out, dressed in an old dress, a blonde wig and makeup that Ava had actually done earlier for her before leaving for the football game. "I'm ready.. I did my best not to mess up the way you made me a pretty girl." Addie said as Ava replied, "You didn't need all that. You're already pretty. Those girls up the road are all jealous whores is all.."

"Im not."

Tate tapped his feet and cleared his throat then asked, "Is the invite still open.. Not like I've got anything better to do." as Ava nodded and said quietly, "Yeah.. It's still open."

The three of them set off down the walkway and then down the block. Addie trick or treated and Tate watched Ava intently for a few moments before asking, "So.. Going to the dance?"

"Fuck Westfield fucking High. I'm gonna call it a night after I hang out with Addie a little while.. Rosalie tried to talk me into going with her and that Dr. Harmon guy to see the Rocky Horror Picture Show.. Like I want to spend all night watching my mom flirt with him knowing what'll happen when she gets bored here or worse, he actually starts to really fall for her.." Ava sighed as she leaned against a street lamp and fidgeted with the zipper to her black leather jacket, not looking at him.

"Dr. Harmon's kind of a jerk."

"Not really.. The guy's lonely, he lost his wife and his daughter. He's always nice to me.. But he's not my father and no matter how much I wish things were different, he's just another chapter in my mom's life story. That's the way all the decent guys wind up with her.. Written off and forgotten. He actually told me to steer clear of a guy named Tate when I started going to therapy with him.. So.. How's he know you?"

"I did therapy with him."

"Yeah.. I can totally see that.. I mean your mom.. She's.." Ava trailed off as Tate finished, "A bitch. I actually kinda hate her sometimes."

" I don't hate my mom, she's just annoying most of the time.. I'm her kid not her god damn baby sister or baby sitter.. And she's always moving around.. Then there's the crap she's been doing a lot lately, it's got me scared, sort of.." Ava admitted as Tate looked at her, curious look in his eyes before asking, "What's she do?"

"Sometimes, Tate, when I look at her, she looks like she's got these dead and glazed over eyes.. Once I even imagined I saw her... Nevermind, you really will think I'm a nutjob."

"Go ahead.."

"Once when I looked at her, Tate, she just didn't look like herself and it was fucking scary.." Ava said as she shook her head then said "I have no idea why I'm telling you all this.. I haven't even told Dr. Harmon about it in therapy.. Afraid he'll recommend I be locked up in a rubber room." Ava sighed as she bit her lower lip, went back to fidgeting with her jacket nervously.

Guys normally either gave her one of two vibes.. One was that she'd like them, want to get with them and she'd tell them.. The other was total annoyance.. Normally, with her, there was no actual in between.. But since actually MEETING the subject of a weeks worth of very dirty x rated dreams before she actually even knew the guy.. Yeah, he'd been throwing her for a loop every since about 3 pm.

Tate studied her, angered with himself because he was worried about her.. Why did he care, even? Last time he'd bothered to care, it'd went all sorts of wrong for him and the person he loved with all his heart left him.

The taunts and teasing started from up the street and Ava shoved her phone and Addie's candy bag in his hands then said "Hang on, just a sec.. I'm so not in the mood for these bitches tonight." as Tate jogged to keep up, still surprising himself with the concern he felt towards her. When the hell had she stopped annoying him in the space of a few weeks silently observing her and when the hell had he began to actually want her or like her. He didn't wanna feel anything for her, or for anyone else.

"Back the fuck off Addie, Serena."

"Oh.. Look who it is.. Westfield's token basketcase. You do realize that you give the rest of the squad a bad name, right? What with you being crazy and all.. And not to mention the way you're definitely not pretty enough to be one of us."

"She makes us all look bad. I don't see why the coach hasn't thrown her ass off the cheer squad.." a friend of Serena's said as Ava rolled her eyes and clenchd her fists before snarling, "I don't see why someone hasn't thrown your ass off a cliff."

"Is that a threat, crazy?"

"No, bitch, it's gonna be a promise if you don't pipe the fuck down and get lost already. Addie's done nothing to any of you stupid bimbos. It's disgusting how pathetic it is, really.. All of you laughing at her.. Jokes on you though because guess what?"

"What, crazy?"

"Addie's probably got more class in her pinkie than any of you stupid twats have in your entire bodies.. And Coach Brown isn't gonna have to throw me off the fucking cheer squad because I fuckin quit. I don't need to be a cheerleader to get noticed. and if I have to be a braindead cunt to be accepted I'd really rather not." Ava said as Tate watched the confrontation with amusement, stroked his chin as Addie walked over and said quietly, "She didn't have to quit because.."

"She did it because those girls are bitches. Not because of you, okay?" Tate said quietly to reassure his sister.. Truth be told, she was probably the only member of his family that he didn't hate. And he wished he could live again, just to make sure she was spared their mother's way of abusing them, making them feel worthless. He hated knowing she was treated the way she was by pretty much everyone (except Ava more recently) and he couldn't leave the damn property to exact his pound of flesh from those who deserved it most.

The only reason he hadn't done anything to his mother was that even though he hated her, deeper down, in the darkest recesses of his mind and heart, he actually did love her a little. She was his mother, after all.

Ava came storming back over and then asked Addie, "So.. How about I blow off that fucking dance?" as she silently fumed in anger. She really, really, really hated those girls right now. And the last place she felt like being was in the high school gym with all of them. Too much temptation for strangulation.

Addie looked at Tate and then at Ava and asked cautiously, "Can my brother stay with us?" as Ava looked at Tate and shrugged, biting her lower lip. She was trying to remain indifferent but there was just.. She felt this pull to the guy.

After a few moments, Ava said with a slight smile, "If he wants, don't see why it would matter.. So, looks like horror movies and a candy binge?" Ava asked Addie who giggled and nodded. She walked inside the Langdon house to tell her mom what she was doing, excited that maybe she might be able to help Tate and Ava too, and do what her mother wanted her to do while doing it, and outside, on the porch, Ava paced, eyes still blazing with anger.

Tate watched her and then asked curiously, "They always do that?"

"No, only lately. .There was an incident.. It's kinda why Dr. Harmon's my therapist now... I'd really rather not get into it.. Let's just say that fucking house is either gonna kill me or I'll fucking burn it to the ground." Ava said in a stiff voice as Tate looked at her and then said 'Why's it the houses fault?"

"Because, Langdon.. Until we moved here? I was perfectly fucking sane.. Lately, I'm just.. I'm not sure how reliable my sanity is anymore.. And my mom's sanity's even worse than it was before we moved here.. Which trust me, is really, really saying a lot." Ava admitted as he nodded and then asked, "Whats that mean?"

"It means, Tate, she's always lived in her own little fantasy world.. She's more of a friend than a mother.. She cannot deal with shit and lately, that's gotten a lot worse. I'm basically the god damn adult in that house." Ava admitted as she hoisted herself up on the railing of Constance's porch and stared up at the moon, grumbling as her headband started to slide again.

Tate straightened the black fuzzy cat eared headband and then chuckling a little said " Why'd ya dress up? I mean you're too old to be trick or treating.."

"Because, Tate, Addie wanted to.. And I figured that since she's the only real friend I've got here, I'd do it too.. So the other girls wouldn't give her quite so much hell because of how old she is and her disease.. I hate people like that.." Ava trailed off as she stared up at the moon and then said "Hope you like horror movies because that's kind of my thing on Halloween."

"It'll work.. Beats the hell out of sitting over here and listening to her fucking some random guy down the hall." Tate lied easily as he looked at her and then said "So... "

"So..."

Addie came back out, thankfully, before the conversation could get anymore awkward.


	9. CH 05 HALLOWEEN II

_CHAPTER 08_

Addie had long since fallen asleep, chocolate smeared around her mouth, content smile on her face. Currently, Tate and Ava sat in the den of the house, candles lit, horror movie marathon going full tilt as he watched her watching the screen intently for a few moments. Ava shifted her gaze to Tate when she thought he wasn't looking, only to find him watching her intently as if he were thinking about something long and hard, and he wasn't sure how to voice his thoughts.

"What? Do I have chocolate on my face?" Ava asked with a slight laugh as he shook his head then said "Nope. Just thinkin." before turning his attention back to the horror movie on television. She stretched, stood and then held out her hand to him, sort of pulling him off the couch in the den (with his help, of course) as she said "C'mon. Addie's asleep, I'm bored and you're obviously not much of a talker.. So we'll walk around the house and explore.."

Before either teen could move, the front door opened and Tate scowled as Dr. Harmon and Ava's mother stood in it, laughing, the laughter dying as they saw Tate standing in the living room with Ava, her hand in his. He could only guess what the old nosy bastard thought right now and frankly, he didn't care. What Ava did was none of the man's business because she wasn't Violet.

And she apparently wanted him around for whatever reason. Or she was just being nice. She seemed to be a really nice girl.

Dr. Harmon eyed Tate and then said stiffly, "How'd the dance go, Ava? I hope you didn't go with that little prick." nodding his head at Tate, eyeing Ava in concern. Ava gave him a strange look then gave her mother a glare as if to silently point out that her mother was her actual parent in this situation, Dr. Harmon, however, was not and had no business butting in, but Ava's mother ignored it, of course, and said to Dr. Harmon, "C'mon Ben.. Let's leave the kids alone and go into the kitchen.. I have some wine or something around here I think."

"Nice to see you too, Dr. Harmon." Tate called out in a cheeky tone of voice as Ben glared at him for a moment and mouthed "I won't stand by and watch you destroy her too. She might not be my kid but I'm a decent guy."

"Sure you are." Tate mouthed back as he turned his attention back to Ava who muttered in slight anger, "What the fuck was that about I wonder? Like I'm his kid or something.. He didn't have any sort of right to boss me around just then." before shaking her head and looking up at Tate a few moments, her hand reaching out, brushing the bruise around his left eye from earlier.

It shocked her, the images that for some bizarre reason flooded her mind as her hand touched his smooth skin and lingered there on his cheek. She could feel hints of a five o clock shadow, but she could see and feel also everything that he wasn't saying, that he kept hidden. It overwhelmed her, really. It took her breath away as if she'd been suckerpunched by a boxer or something.

_'Violet left him and he loved her with everything he had. His mother abused him in too many ways to count.. People did things to him that made him want to do bad things to them right back to retaliate. He's never known real love.. Abuse, pain, anger and hurt.. But never the pure joy of real love.. He's not a good person but he wants to be a good person. He's not happy, he's never actually felt what happiness feels like other than the short time he was with Violet.'_

Meanwhile, when her hand touched his cheek, Tate blinked a little as a series of memories, thoughts, stuff he could almost bet his non life on that Ava never told anyone flooded his mind. It sucked the breath out of him, it made him feel strange, it made him feel like he was invading her privacy, the darkest recesses of her own mind, without her permission and against his will.

_'She hates herself. Her mother would rather drink and smoke pot than spend any time with her lately, and she's been having these intense and scary nightmares. People at Westfield High hate her because she thought she saw something (one of them, someone like you) standing in the gymnasium and she had a meltdown in the middle of a pep rally, everyone laughed and whispered about her bhind her back for days after.. Boys take advantage of her and she used to let them just so she'd at least feel loved a little, feel important to someone just a little. She thinks that sometimes she'd rather be dead than alive and then she gets worse because she also thinks that she wouldn't be missed by anyone if she just died or disappeared. The attitude and the sass is just an act, she's fragile and she'd die before anyone found that out.'_

"That looks nasty. Hope I got ice on it before it swells shut." Ava said quietly as Tate held her hand there, sort of just letting the warmth of her alive skin warm up the coldness of his dead body. "You're so cold." Ava gasped as she looked at him then asked, "You're feeling okay, right?"

"I'm fine, damn it. Let's just go upstairs." Tate said through gritted teeth as he tried to control the rush of feelings he didn't want to feel coming at him like crazy. He didn't want to want this girl. He wanted to be left alone. He wanted to hate her or at the very least not know she existed. Right now, more than anything, he felt torn..

On the one hand, he'd promised Violet forever.. Then on the other hand, she'd basically told him he disgusted her, she hated him and she wanted him out of her heart and head before she'd finally let herself cross over. And he hadn't seen her since because she didn't bother showing herself to him. He meant nothing to Violet so why should the promise he made her mean anything to him.

"Yeah, let's go upstairs.. In a little while though, we'll have to walk Addie back home. I don't think your mom would be thrilled at her being out past midnight." Ava said as she stared at Tate intently for a few moments. What was it about this damn guy anyway? And how the hell had she had very x rated dreams about him BEFORE ever officially meeting him?


	10. CH 05 HALLOWEEN III

_CHAPTER 09_

The three of them walked down the sidewalk. Ava hadn't said much to Tate and he hadn't said much to her since the bizarre moment they had back at the house. Neither of them was keen on mentioning it to the other and both were confused. Addie looked from her brother to the only actual friend she had and asked quietly, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just.. I think I'm a little sleepy. Definitely having a sugar crash, girl." Ava said as her eyes lingered reluctantly on Tate's for a moment before quickly darting downward to her bare feet.

"I'm just fuckin tired, Addie." Tate said as he looked at Ava who was staring intently down at her feet as if she were deathly afraid to look at his eyes right now or something. Had that weird thing that happened to him when she'd touched his face earlier at the house happened to her too? If it had just how much fucked up shit had she seen? She hadn't seen him killing those other kids.. Or had she? Was she terrified of him now?

Ava blushed as she looked up from quietly staring at her bare feet as they walked down the sidewalk and towards the Langdon house to find Tate's eyes boring into her intently. She licked her lower lip and for a moment felt magnetized by his gaze. Her skin was burning hot where his hand touched her face earlier.. Had he seen something weird too when he'd touched her? Had he seen every bad thing about her, every dirty little thing she buried deep down in the dark depths of her mind?

The stuff nobody knew about but her and she intended on never telling anyone?

The house drew closer and Addie said quietly, "I had fun tonight." before disappearing through the door as Constance held it open, looking out into the street, watching Tate and Ava intently. She noticed that Ava was in pajamas now, makeup gone from her face. Addie's face too had been scrubbed clean and when Constance asked Addie stiffly why, Addie said quietly, "Because Ava said the makeup would make my face break out if I wore it all night, Mama."

"Those two gettin any closer, girl?" Constance asked in a clipped voice as she peered out the partially open door into the darkness at her son and this newest girl in the house her son was trapped in. She couldn't read their lips so she didn't know what was being said and that bugged her because this had to work.. She had so much she wanted to make up for with her son, with Addie.. Addie was still alive, there was a chance to do it now.. But if this girl was the other half, if she was as important to Tate as her friend the medium seemed to think and they could pull this off, she could have a chance to make things up to her son as well.

Of course the medium also said that there would be bad things that went along with his coming back, if they could even execute the spell properly to bring him back.

They needed Ava's blood, not much of it, just a little.. And several other obscure things they were currently trying to find. They had a very small window of time and if they missed it?

They'd miss the chance to try it.

"You two coming in?" Constance called out, voice annoyed as she watched them and smiled a hidden smile to herself from the darkness inside the house. Tate glared at her and Ava looked up and at her, called out, "Is it okay if Tate takes a walk with me? I just kinda want to walk around.. I won't be able to sleep.." her eyes begging.

Tate blinked a little in shock when Ava wasn't looking at her having asked the question she'd asked. He knew by now of course, having had a glimpse inside her head earlier, that she sensed deep down something was off about him as well as Moira and the others she'd encountered while living in Murder House. If she were asking if he could go for a walk around the block with her.. Had she not seen all the people he'd killed?

Constance pretended to think it over and then called out with a twisted grin at her son, obviously going with the charade he was trying to keep going, "Don't stay out too late, Tate, you hear me, boy? Don't want her mama getting on my case."

Tate glared at her for a few moments then made himself reply, "Okay, alright, shit." as he looked at Ava who looked up at him and said quietly, "Sorry.. I just.. My mom's over there with Dr. Harmon and the guy's so sweet.. I know how she is and I know sooner or later she'll fuck this up for both of us and we'll be gone again.. I don't want to hear them going at it like horny ass teenagers, okay? It's hella awkward to hear you mother having sex right down the hall from you.."

"That's the only reason you wanna walk around with me?" Tate asked as he looked at her warily. She shrugged, her eyes dropped to her feet again and he said quietly, "What's the deal about wearing shoes..."

"I didn't think about it."

"Your feet aren't cold?" Tate wondered as he chuckled and then stopped their walk at a park. He leaned against the light pole, his hands in his pockets for now as he looked at her and said in a calm and deliberate voice, "Let's stop with the bullshit. Something happened back at your house tonight. And don't say you didn't feel it."

"Huh?" Ava tried to lie. But when she couldn't meet and hold his gaze, he tilted her chin up and with a smirk said "You know exactly what I mean.. When you touched my face earlier and I put my hand on your hand. Something really fuckin weird happened."

She stared at the sky and bit her lower lip as she tried to think of a rational way to explain it off. But a few minutes that seemed to drag on forever passed by and she couldn't write it all off. "Yeah, it did.. I saw all this stuff.. About you.." Ava admitted quietly as she looked at him and then asked, "What happened to you?"

"I saw all this stuff about you.. It was weird, I mean I could even feel things.." Tate said as he shrugged then said in an annoyed tone, "I didn't fuckin want this to happen, okay?"

Ava glared at him a moment and then said through gritted teeth, "And you fucking think I did? I just.. I didn't even meet you until today but.. I saw you, okay? In my fucking mind. And it's only making me wonder further if I'm fucking insane. So don't bitch at me about this happening because right now, trust me.. I didn't want this to happen either because it makes me think I'm totally losing my shit." before starting to walk off.

He watched her and then grumbled, swore and stubbed out the cigarette he'd been smoking as he caught up to her and spun her around. "You're not.. All that stuff I heard you calling yourself in your thoughts earlier.. And you don't have to do all that stuff.."

"Did your mother really do everything I saw to you? Did you really do all that shit to those other people? How are you even fucking standing here right now if..." Ava trailed off as she bit her lower lip. Something her grandmother said about her when she was a baby came back to her, the woman was a bona fide nuthouse candidate, but had she been right then? Was Ava able to sense ghosts? Communicate with them, even? It just felt so weird thinking that if she weren't going completely batshit crazy right now, if this wasn't all some really weird dream... then for some reason, at least half the people she'd actually encountered in this motherfucking town were.. They were dead.. They'd been dead for a really, really long time..

Or was tonight some bizarre thing, a random occurrence? A dream even, fuelled by too many horror movies, hatred for the place she was stuck living in and the way her mother treated her lately, the strange things that were happening all around her.

She started to run away and he caught up to her. She screamed and his hand went over her mouth as he said into her ear quietly, "Stop fucking screaming, Ava and listen to me." while turning her around to face him, holding her arms so she couldn't run off.

"Let me the fuck go."

"I can't do that. Not until I explain things.. She never let me."

"Who? Your mother? That Violet girl? She's not the same Violet who happens to be Dr. Harmon's daughter, is she?" Ava asked as she tried to pace, growled in frustration as she realized that Tate was holding her still. She bit her lower lip and looked at him for a few moments. Everything about this situation was fucked up and despite knowing she should run and run now, run fast and far away, she knew that if he let her go she wouldn't.. Not knowing everyone else ran like hell when **his problems** got too real for them.. Not with the guilt inducing glimpse she'd gotten in his mind, purely by accident.

"She is. And I tried to save her from killing herself.. They got her to the hospital and the doctors they.. They couldn't bring her back..." Tate trailed off as he studied her intently. He had that upset and guilty look on his face, he was working all his best manipulative charms for whatever reason because to his shock he was freaking out right now because he was literally _thisclose_ to losing her like he had Violet.

And suddenly, that thought had him desperate.

Ava nodded and looked at him, strange look in her eyes. She bit her lower lip as she said quietly, "This is all kinds of fucked up, Tate." as she looked at the house then at him, then back at the house. She happened to see Dr. Harmon staring down at them through an opening in the curtains from her mother's bedroom upstairs as he held a wine glass in his hand. Ava gave the man a curt wave and then muttered "I'm gonna go inside before he pulls a dick move like flashing the porch lights or dragging me in all Neanderthal like by my hair. We're going to have a serious talk about this in the am, if of course, tonight wasn't some lunatic fantasy I'm having."

Tate nodded and then said quietly, "You felt it too.. You saw it all.. I got no secrets now, Avaline. Neither do you." as he watched her intently. She bit her lower lip and grimaced visibly.. If she were going to share some bizarre cosmic link with someone.. Did it really have to be a sixteen year old dead guy who'd done really, really bad things when he was alive?

A guy that she sensed in the few hours she'd known him, could be quite the master manipulator?


	11. CH 06 THE MORNING AFTER I

_CHAPTER 10_

"Have you ever had something really, really weird happen? Like when you touch someone they... You see.. nevermind, this is stupid, and I'm gonna sound crazy as hell for even mentioning it." Ava said and stopped herself, bit her nails as she watched their maid, Moira while she cleaned up the kitchen. Moira stopped and sat down, poured them both a cup of strong and warm tea. "Something's upsetting you, Ava.. If you want to talk to me about it, you can. Nothing you tell me is stupid." the woman said as she sipped her tea, looked at the teen girl intently for a few moments. Ava raked her hands slowly through wild and curly long blonde hair as she sipped her tea and tried to think of the best way to put what she wanted to ask into words. Because something really, really weird had happened last night, between herself and Tate, the boy next door.

And given what she'd seen, she should have, by all accounts, been scared shitless of him.. Not lying awake all night wondering if right then, at that particular moment, if he was okay, or if down the road, in that house, he was getting these horrible things done to him..

"Okay.. Say you touch someone and.. You see their life? Like things that have happened to them in the past? Things that are horrible, that may or may not have had a hand in making them do the even more horrible things they did before they.. Nevermind.. I'm pretty damn sure last night was just some kind of weird dream or something.. Maybe it was a lucid dream.. Maybe Rosalie was right, maybe I have been stressing too much about school and the idiots I go to school with lately. Or maybe it was too much candy?" Ava stammered as Moira looked at her, concerned.

_So that's what the little jerk was grinning ear to ear about when he'd slunk into his basement hideaway last night_, Moira thought to herself as she sipped her tea and tried to think of something to tell the poor girl, just so she'd know she was not losing it and whatever she saw when she 'linked' with Tate the night before was a really compelling reason to leave him alone, that he was bad, that he'd be the death of her, literally.

She took a few deep breaths and sipped her tea before answering quietly, "There was this old tale I heard a few times.. Some people, Ava, they can do these things... They can see the past.."

"Yeah, mediums or something.. But I'm not the least bit psychic.. Rosalie.. she was researching for this book she was writing last fall and she had both of us tested? Said it'd help her with her research.. She's got a little bit of an ability, I don't... Then again, my grandma.. She was crazy, but she did say something right before she died... About me being able to walk a fine line between the living and the dead? I thought she was tripping balls on the pain medicine they had pumping into her just so she'd die a painless death.." Ava mumbled as she bit her lower lip and thought about what Moira was essentially telling her. _"Ask her.. She's telling you the truth, she hasn't lied to you so far, Ava.. Ask her.. If she and Chad and Patrick, the others.. If they're ALL dead too.. You've been wondering if you were trapped in the middle of some Sixth Sense bullshit for weeks now.. Ask!" _her mind practically screamed at her. She sighed and then crossed her legs, sitting on one, she asked Moira quietly.. "Can I.. Can I see your hand?"

Moira looked at her for a moment and though she knew it was a bad idea, she held out her hand, let the girl take hold.. Oddly enough, nothing happened. Ava scowled a moment, shook her head and bit her lower lip.. Why didn't it happen with Moira too? She got the same tingles around Moira and Nora, the other's she'd met while living here for the most part, that she did around Tate..

_'That.. Was something special.. Something that you don't yet understand, girl.. But this house.. It'll show you. It'll guide you..' _a voice inside her mind insisted.. Sounded like an older male.. Maybe the man Nora bought with her once, the guy she said was her husband, though she seemed to hate the guy? The guy had rubbed her all sorts of wrong ways, honestly.. But she had heard the voice before, she was almost sure of it.

She jumped a little, shocked. Moira took her hand back and asked quietly, "Well?"

" Nothing, I just.. I thought I heard a man whispering in my ear just now.. Is there a guy here?"

"Not that I'm aware, no.. Chad and Patrick aren't coming by today, Dr. Harmon's taken your mother out to dinner. It's just us girls tonight, I'm afraid." Moira said apologetically as for a moment, Ava's face fell and she mumbled quietly, "Again.. She promised tonight.. Damn it.." before shoving her cup of tea to the side, resting her head against her hand and sighing a little.

So if she hadn't seen anything about Moira, how she might have died, if she even believed this cockamamie theory that she was a medium to begin with.. Why show her everything about Tate and nothing about the others? Was it a gender specific gift?

She bit her lower lip and after a few moments, she made her way up to her room. She nearly jumped a mile into the air when Tate's hand closed around her mouth and he laughed in her ear from behind her. She shoved his hand down, turned to face him and then hugged him, warily. He raised a brow but hugged her back and asked quietly, "So you're still talkin to me?"

"Yeah.. I know with everything I've seen about you, everything I know about you I should be running like hell for an exorcist.. But I.. There's something about you." she admitted quietly as she looked up at him.

"I tried it with Moira.. Didn't see anything in her past.. But I know she's... She's dead too, isn't she?" Ava asked as Tate looked at her a moment, not sure how to answer her, really. If he told her the truth, it just might make her go nuts. And he'd lost Violet before.. What if he lost her this time? After he'd linked with her? After she was bound to him?

_'The fucking truth, Tate.. tell her the fucking truth.. You could still have me if you hadn't lied, if you hadn't raped my mother.. If you lie to her, you lose her too.' _Violet's voice came loud and clear in his mind. For a moment, he smiled to himself a little, when Ava wasn't looking.. He coughed and paced then took her hand and said quietly, "In the back of the house.. Wanna show ya something."

"Does it have to do with this? Because make no mistake, Tate.. We are fucking discussing what happened last night." Ava demanded as he chuckled and then said quietly, "Yeah.. It's got a lot to do with this. Now c'mon. You wanted the truth.. you're about to get it. All of it.. Then ya can decide how ya really feel about me. And about this fuckin shit hole of a house."

She looked at him a few moments and then said quietly, "If I hated you, Tate.. You'd know it already. I'd have severed ties last night. Look, for whatever reason, I don't.. I'm not nearly as afraid of you as I should be right now, which scares the hell out of me.. Truth? I actually still sort of like you.. I hate the shitty god damn things you did.. But I think that deep down, you were starting to become a better person before you lost.. before she was gone." Ava admitted quietly as Tate looked at her, gaping a few moments.

"You asked me if she's dead.. The answer, Ava, is yes.. Moira is dead.. So is Chad, Patrick, those two fuckin fairies.. Nora and her husband are dead too.. That man with the really fucked up face isn't.. Ben Harmon isn't. Hayden is. So is the security guy." Tate said quietly as Ava nodded, began to lose all color in her skin and promptly fainted. He grumbled and swearing, he bent and picked her up, put her on the bed gently, walked down the stairs and sat down in a chair, said quietly to Moira..

"She knows the truth.. All of it.. She knows we're dead.. I think she kinda knew it all along.. Either way, she fainted just now.. You got any of that stuff to wake her up?" Tate asked as Moira turned to look at him, thoughtful look in her eyes as she sighed and said quietly, "Maybe it's better this way, the poor girl knowing. I hated lying to her."

"And I learned the hard way what lyin got me. So I told her. And she might still hate me now but she knows." Tate said quietly as he took the tea that Moira held out, walked back up the stairs, sat down on the very edge of Ava's bed, waiting impatiently.. How were things going to go when she woke up, finally? Would he lose her too?


End file.
